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Arts Plan - Melrose Park - January 2018 PAYCE Peter Day Environmental Art + Design 58
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the landscape plans designate a ‘palm
growth entry plaza’ at the corner of
Victoria and Wharf Roads, this would
seem to be the appropriate position
especially if the corner doesn’t have to
be widened.
The ‘what’ of this is not quite so easy,
but to be in keeping with the subject
matter and the site, it would appear that
the object would have to be tall,
aeronautical looking and silver metal in
colour, with enough complexity to make
multiple viewings rewarding and stand
out amongst the palm trees. Some
research into flight of the era is required,
with a short summary following.
The transition from wood to metal planes
changed everything about flight in just a
few years. In the aftermath of World War
I, the victorious nations found
themselves with quite a significant
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number of superfluous planes. These
became the basis of the commercial air
travel industry. New metal planes weren't
just more durable during wartime; they
also withstood the dramatic changes in
climate that a vehicle might experience
when traveling long distances, where
climates could change from arctic to
temperate to tropical to arid in a
relatively short period of time.
Flight in the 1930’s was characterized by
decreased inconvenience and increased
comfort for passengers and crew. Air
travel early in the decade was limited
mostly to the upper class and to those
who had a good reason to fly, such as
manufacturers' representatives and
those involved in banking. Flying was
more expensive than travelling by train
and “discretionary” flying was not yet
practiced.
1
If Melrose’s greatest achievement was to
give a dispirited people and a nation
under great financial strain, some hope,
vicarious adventure and a sense of
wonder (remembering that most
Australians didn’t have cars, travelled by
horse and cart, and there was minimal
public transport, in those days), then
having a suburb named after him is the
least that could be done. However, few
people know that Melrose Park is named
for Charles James Melrose, aviator
extraordinaire! The new residents of
Melrose Park certainly will not know and
this can be easily remedied.
A memorial to Charles Melrose or
‘something’ to commemorate the naming
of the suburb after him would be an
appropriate major entry statement at the
corner of Victoria Rd and Wharf Road,
the northern entrance to the suburb. As
4. A FAST LIFE, CHARLES JAMES MELROSE
ATTACHMENT A 20
Arts Plan - Melrose Park - January 2018 PAYCE Peter Day Environmental Art + Design 59
4
A number of adventurous pilots began
using airplanes for “utility aviation” -
commercial photography, surveying, law
enforcement, agricultural purposes such
as seeding and crop dusting, and air
taxis, like Charles Melrose’s business.
While engines that transmitted noise and
vibration back to the passengers had
plagued earlier planes, newer planes
added soundproofing to the cabins,
ventilation ducts and a structure that
allowed a dual skin and interior
decorating. Upholstered seats were
mounted on rubber, and padded
armrests further reduced noise and
vibration. The planes could also fly
higher, 20,000 feet, reducing though not
eliminating turbulence.
The 1930’s saw the emergence of
streamlining planes (and all sorts of
objects) to not only make them go faster
but to look like they would go faster. The
trend becomes much more pronounced
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as the decade progresses. A
memorial/monument/place marker/
welcome statement should reflect this.
TREATMENTS
This sculpture could be a graphic
inspired empirical representation of the
movement of flight itself, sweeping
upward and outward in a graceful curve.
Flight and aeroplane technology,
especially of the 30’s, may be
represented in other parts of the
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development as well. In the 30’s and
40’s wall mounted sculpture – bas-
reliefs, in metal and other materials were
particularly popular.
An obvious option would be the inclusion
of an aeroplane inspired feature in the
children’s play area. An amusing or
intriguing indication of the aeronautical
relevance to the development could be a
light plane parked in the car parking
area, neatly in a parking space, as if it
was just another vehicle.
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